Description

The New Zealand Building Code establishes minimum performance requirements to protect life in a major earthquake.

Designing for seismic resilience in the built environment (buildings and infrastructure) enables communities to recover from significant disruption.

This bulletin provides a checklist of key seismic considerations for designers and links to key references.

Scope

This bulletin covers:

• Introduction
• Building controls
• Site
  • Earthquake zones and expected earthquake loads
  • Ground characteristics
  • Soil classes and good ground
  • Site assessment and survey methods
  • Site slope and instability
  • Retaining structures
• Design
  • Principles of low-damage design
  • Effects of irregularity on seismic performance
• Foundations
  • Slab foundations
  • Pile foundations
• Frame
  • Bracing
  • Openings
  • Cladding weight
• Non-structural elements
  • Clearances and restraints
  • Secondary hazards
• Post-event occupancy and repair